This invention relates generally to a toy or model aircraft drive and flight simulating control system which includes a moveable platform suspended from a conventional or false ceiling attached to a tethered toy airplane which may also be raised or lowered vertically to simulate climb and descent. The aircraft body houses pitch and roll control motors to provide simulation of actual flight attitudes, such as banking, climbing, descending, landing and take-off.
In the prior art, toy aircraft have been shown which have self-contained propulsion systems for actually engaging in flight which generally restricts indoor usage. Other toy aircraft which are ground supported on rotating arms or the like fail to achieve the realism of actual flight. With the exception of the self-propelled model aircraft, the prior art does not show a device which truly provides a three dimensional control and drive of a model airplane to more realistically simulate actual flight conditions of an aircraft.
The instant invention comprises an inclusive system which provides forward motion for a model airplane in any direction and pitch and roll maneuvers, the model aircraft attached to and suspended from a vertical tether which is coupled to a moveable platform magnetically suspended on the underside of a false ceiling to a drive vehicle supported on the upper surface of the false ceiling. The drive vehicle is magnetically coupled by permanent magnets to the moveable platform, which includes a tether reel drive motor for vertically lowering or raising the aircraft, for altitude control. The tether houses electrical conductors from a control console to provide electrical power to a pair of motors housed within the model aircraft fuselage to provide changes in roll and pitch of the aircraft while suspended from the tether. The drive vehicle mounted on the top surface of the false ceiling has steerable wheels and a wheel drive electric motor. The moveable platform on the bottom surface of the false ceiling has ball bearing type wheels such that the platform may be moved in any direction about the false ceiling by movement with the drive vehicle. Thus utilizing the instant model aircraft drive and control system, an operator may simulate all aircraft attitudes including take-off and landing plus a variety of standard aerobatic flight maneuvers to provide more realism with the use of the toy. The system may also be utilized for teaching aircraft flight maneuvers as a flight simulator.